Marshall Crenshaw
(born November 11, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. Born in Detroit, Michigan, he grew up in the northern suburb of Berkley, Michigan. Marshall graduated from Berkley High School in June of 1971. Crenshaw began playing guitar at age ten. From 1968 to 1973 he led the band Astigafa (an acronym for "a splendid time is guaranteed for all", a lyric from "Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite" from the album Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
by The Beatles). He got his first break playing John Lennon in the off-Broadway company of the musical Beatlemania
. While in New York, he recorded a single, "Something's Gonna Happen", for Alan Betrock's Shake Records, after which he was signed to Warner Bros. Records. Retro rocker Robert Gordon took Crenshaw's "Someday, Someway" to #76 in 1981, and Crenshaw's own version made #36 the next year; it would be his only Billboard Top 40 Pop hit. Spongetones member Jamie Hoover lists "Someday, Someway" as one of his top ten favorite pop songs. [1]
Crenshaw's eponymous first album was acclaimed as a pop masterpiece upon release, proving him a first-rate songwriter, singer and guitarist. His second album, Field Day
, sported a somewhat heavier sound that displeased some listeners, but the album is regarded by many critics as Crenshaw's best, and one of the classic power pop statements, although Crenshaw's work, like Alex Chilton's, transcends the genre. "Some of the stuff I've done you could call power pop," he told an interviewer, "but the term does have sort of a dodgy connotation."
Although Marshall Crenshaw has never sold enormous numbers of records, he enjoys a reputation as one of the finest songwriters of the era, with roots in classic soul music, British Invasion songcraft, Burt Bacharach and Buddy Holly—to whom Crenshaw was often compared in the early days of his career, and whom he portrayed in the 1987 film La Bamba
. In 1989, he compiled a collection of Capitol Records country performers of the 1950s and '60s called Hillbilly Music...Thank God, Vol. 1
, which was extremely well-received. In 1993, he made an appearance in the cult TV show The Adventures of Pete and Pete
, in the role of a guitar-playing meter reader. In 1994, he published a book, Hollywood Rock: A Guide to Rock 'n' Roll in the Movies
. He continued to record in the 1990s and 2000s, and, in 1999, released the critically acclaimed #447
. In the 2000s, Crenshaw played guitar as a special guest with the reunited members of the MC5. Crenshaw penned the title track from the 2007 film Walk Hard
starring John C. Reilly; the song, as sung by Reilly, was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song. [2].
Crenshaw's latest release, Jaggedland, was released on June 2, 2009 on 429 Records.
Crenshaw is also a noted guitarist who uses offbeat chord progressions (almost verging towards jazz) and tight leads.
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MARSHALL CRENSHAW TICKETS
| EVENT | DATE | AVAILABILITY |
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| Marshall Crenshaw Tickets 9/13 | Sep 13, 2025
Sat, 7:30 PM |  | | Marshall Crenshaw Tickets 9/14 | Sep 14, 2025
Sun, 7:00 PM | | | Marshall Crenshaw Tickets 9/21 | Sep 21, 2025
Sun, 7:30 PM | | | Marshall Crenshaw Tickets 11/14 | Nov 14, 2025
Fri, 8:00 PM | | | Marshall Crenshaw Tickets 11/16 | Nov 16, 2025
Sun, 7:30 PM | |
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